Cricket News: Dukes to launch investigation into Ashes ball swap | Dukes to investigate ball swap in 5th Test at The Oval
The owner of Dukes ball is set to launch an investigation into the ball replacement saga that rocked the final day of the Ashes.
Australia were going strong at 135/0 after 37 overs before the home side got a ball change after repeated requests. The umpires brought in a fresh set of balls and handpicked a visibly shinier one that led to a sudden change in England’s fortunes. England eventually won by 49 runs.
The move attracted backlash from Ricky Ponting, and Australian opener Usman Khawaja criticised the decision of the on-field umpires.
Dukes owner Dilip Jajodia to investigate ball change during fifth Ashes Test at The Oval
“Every ball we produce for the specific season has got a date stamp on it. It would have 2023 marked on it. We supply balls to the ground. These balls are not controlled by the ECB or the ICC, it’s controlled by the ground authority. So on this particular occasion (at The Oval) the balls would be done by Surrey,” Dukes’ owner Dilip Jajodia was quoted in a report by News Corp.
He added, “Surrey get the supply of balls from us before the season starts and then they start knocking them in, getting them into wear and tear if you like and in my view, they’re probably not doing it that accurately.”
There is speculation that the “new” ball was similar to the Dukes’ batch of 2018-19, which heavily assisted pacers. Jajodia said it is possible officials put the ball with a different date among the ones to be used for the 2023 series.
He asserted that he will be personally investigating the issue as allegations against the ball personally affect him. Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused from commenting on the calls taken by match officials during the course of the game.